Carton closing and sealing machine



Aug. 25, 1964 A. RlccA CARTON CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheetl Filed March 2l, 1962 INVENroR. ,4 TON /CC'A BY ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1964A. RlccA 3,145,518

CARTON CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed March 2l, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 2Aug. 25, 1964 A, RICCA 3,145,518

CARTON CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed March 2l, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 5i: ici. E

l- |"I' f/ il.. /0 ih g fi 2 Hjf v-w "h W "r, IIII I, I.'

/62 Il' im 'um /a INVENTOR. ,4N 70A/ /CCA Allg 25, 1964 A. RlccA v3,145,518

CARTON CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed March 2l, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 4i:cl. 1E..

INVENTOR.

Aug. 25, 1964 A. RlccA CARTON CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE /P/ccAINVENTOR.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 2l, 1962 Aug. 25, 1964 A. RlccA 3,145,518

CARTON CLOSING AND SEALING MACHINE Filed March 2l, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 6IUD' 1 will ml? IH .IIII

Im? I@ wm m.

IUE?

lm E@ IUI? INVENTOR.

United States Patent() 3,145,518 CARTN CLSENG AND SEALWG MACE AntonRicca, East Paterson, Nl, assigner to Europair, Ltd., Ridgefieid Park,NE., a corporation of Belaware Filed Mar. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 181,356 2Ciaims. (ill. 53 387) This invention relates to a carton closing andsealing machine. Specifically, the invention relates to a compact,semi-automatic machine for closing and sealing the end aps of filledcartons. The invention is an improvement on the machine shown in UnitedStates Patent No. 2,912,806, issued to P. F. Bowman on November 17,1959.

Carton closing and sealing machines are common in the packagingindustry, but known machines are so large and expensive that they arenot economically available for use in many operations which today resortto the manual sealing of filled cartons.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide acompact, inexpensive carton sealing machine which is largely automaticin its operation, and which can be used to advantage in packagingoperations which involve closure and sealing of cartons of a variety ofdifferent sizes.

The objectives of the invention are served herein in a machine which hasa pressure face assembly and a pressure platen assembly formingtherebetween a carton throat adapted to receive and apply pressure to aseries of cartons being sealed and having a carton supporting andadvancing platform located in one end of said throat, all as shown inthe aforesaid Bowman patent. rhe improvement herein consists in its mainaspect in the mounting of the pressure platen assembly and the pressureface assembly in confronting parallel relation to each other and formovement toward and away from each other in combination with means formoving at least one of the assemblies toward and away from the other ofsaid assemblies to accommodate the pressure throat to cartons ofdifferent size and shape being sealed therebetween.

t is a further object of the invention to mount both the pressure faceassembly and the pressure platen assembly for movement toward and awayfrom each other by means of screw devices which operatively engage eachof the assemblies for affecting the movement thereof.

it is still another object of the invention to form the confrontingfaces of the pressure face assembly and the pressure platen assembly asyielding structures which there by accommodate the throat between theassemblies to the irregularities of packages being processed therein.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a pair ofadjustable glue applying devices in position to simultaneously applyglue to opposite ends of a carton to be sealed.

These and other objectives of the invention will become fully apparentas the description thereof proceeds in conjunction with the drawings inwhich like reference numerals indicate like parts, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a carton sealing machine whichembodies the features of the invention, parts being represented insection;

FiG. 2 is a view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view;

FlG. 4 is a View taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a carton flap folding table provided inconjunction with the inlet to the carton sealing machine;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a carton adapted for closure and sealingin the machine;

FIGS. 8, 9 and l0 are respectively views on lines 8 8, 9 9 and 1(3 10 ofFiG. 6;

ICC

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary facial view of a pressure face assemblycomprising one face of a carton throat; and

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view of a huid pressure system associated withthe machine.

The operative elements of tl e machine are supported on a generallyrectangular cabinet base structure 1i) having in the upper open facethereof a pair of parallel guide rods 1.2 and 14. These guide rods areadapted to mount a pressure platen assembly 16 and a pressure faceassembly 18 in confronting parallel relation to each other.

The guide rods 12 and 14 have their opposite ends fixed in down turnedanges 253 and 22 of angle irons which extend along opposite upper edgesof the base structure 10. The pressure platen assembly 16 and thepressure face assembly 18 comprise generally rectangular structureswhich at their lower ends are of tubular form. Consequently, thepressure platen assembly at its lower end presents an outer wall 2d andan inner wall 26. By the same token, the pressure face assembly 13 alsopresents an outer wall 2S and an inner wall 30. These confronting wallsof the assemblies provide means by which the assemblies are mounted onthe guide rods 12 and 14. vThe oppositely disposed outer and inner wallsof the assembly structures have aligned apertures 32 and 34 which arereinforced respectively by bearing bushings 36 and 33. These bushingsinclude a ange structure 4t) through which they are fixed to theassembly wall and also an elongated hub structure 42 adapted to embracethe guide rods on which the assemblies are mounted.

In one highly useful form of the machine, one of the assemblies may befixed in position such that the size of the gap between the assembliescan be controlled by moving the other assembly, slidably mounted on theguide rods, either toward or away from the opposite fixed assembly. Itis, however, the preferred form of the invention that both assemblies beslidably mounted and that means be provided for moving both of theassemblies away and toward each other.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of lead screws are mounted in the side wallsoi the base structure for controlling the movement and position of theassemblies. Thus, the pressure platen assembly is controlled by a leadscrew 44 while the pressure face assembly 1S is controlled by a leadscrew 46. The lead screws 44 and 46 are mounted for rotation in theopposite outer walls of the base structure. They extend through athreaded element 4d mounted on the assembly wall by means of a plateSti. Thus when the outer end of either lead screw is engaged and turned,it will result in movement of the related assembly along the bearingrods 12 and 14. By providing separate lead screws for the respectiveassemblies, unilateral control of either or both of the assemblies isprovided. in another preferred form of the invention unitary andsimultaneous control to an equal degree of both assemblies can beobtained by using a single lead screw which extends across the basestructure and through the threaded elements of both assemblies. In thislatter case opposite ends of the lead screw would, of course, beoppo'sitely threaded in order to move the assembly structures inopposite directions and to the same degree, depending on the directionin which the lead screw is rotated.

From the foregoing it can be readily seen that the confronting faces ofthe assemblies 16 and 18 may be brought closer together or may be spreadfurther apart, thus accommodating the machine to the closure and sealingof cartons of different size.

The confronting faces of the assemblies 16 and 18 are adapted to yieldto thereby accommodate the throat formed between the assemblies toirregularities in packages being processed therein.

By reference to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the pressure platen assembly16 has supported therein a pressure platen s 52 which is mounted at thetop and bottom on the end walls of the assembly 16 by means of a pair ofshort parallel links S4 and 56. This adapts the pressure platen 52 to alimited range of movement toward and away from the confronting face ofthe pressure face assembly at the opposite side of the machine. Normallythe bottom edge of the pressure platen 52 will rest in contact with astop member 5S which limits its downward movement. However, as closedcartons ascend in the carton throat during a continuous closing andsealing operation, the pressure platen 52 can be carried upwardly andthus yield to the force of the cartons passing in contact therewithwhile at the same time maintaining a substantially uniform pressure onthe closed carton flaps.

The inner face of the pressure face assembly 1S, as shown in FIGS. 3 and1l, is composed of a plurality of vertical guide bars 6d and a pluralityof parallel horizontal bars 62. This arrangement of the bars forms agrilllike pressure face. Mounted on the horizontal bars 62 and betweenthe vertical bars 66 are spring fingers 64 which extend inwardly intothe carton throat. These spring fingers exert a light but even pressureagainst one end of the cartons as they pass upwardly through the cartonthroat during a carton closing and sealing sequence. By this means, thecarton throat is adapted to accommodate minor irregularities in thelength of packages being processed.

A package receiving and advancing elevator platform 66 is mounted in thebase structure for vertical reciprocation under the influence of a uidpressure motor 68. The elevator platform is removably mounted at theupper end of a piston 76. The entire elevator mechanism including thehydraulic motor system is suspended in the base structure 16 by means ofa supporting frame 72 which extends between and is xed at opposite endsto the guide rods 14. rl`he frame supports a guide plate 74, at itsupper face, in which plate is formed an elongated hub 76 by which thepiston '76 is guided. A guide rod 78 is also attached to the bottom faceof the elevator platform 66 and extends through the plate i4 to addstability to movement of the elevator platform 66.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the iluid pressure motor 68 is suspended in thebase structure by means of a harness mechanism Sti which is supported atits upper end from the supporting frame 72. The lower end of the harness80 terminates in plate 82 to which the uid pressure motor is attached.

The fluid pressure motor 63 is adapted, when operated, to reciprocateits piston rod 84 in such manner as to elevate the elevator piston 70.An axial bore S6 extends through the lower end of the elevator piston76, The upper end of the piston rod 84 is mounted in the axial bore S6for a predetermined amount of lost motion therein, in a manner and for apurpose to be more fully shown hereinafter.

Extending between the end walls of the pressure platen assembly 16 andthe pressure face assembly 1S, as best seen in FIG. 3, are glue pots S8and 90. These pots are trough-like structures which are open at the top,but which provide a receptacle for holding a quantity of glue. When onlyone end of a carton is to be closed and sealed during a machine cycle, asingle one of the glue pots will suffice. In the presently preferredembodiment of the machine, especially designed for the sealing ofopposite ends of cartons, a pair of glue pots are provided as shown inFIG. 3. Associated with each of the glue pots is an electric heatingelement 92 the temperature of which is thermostatically controlled tomaintain a hot adhesive at a proper temperature. Hot adhesives areusually employed with cartons made of waxed paper stock. Mounted alongthe length of each glue pot is a rocker shaft 9d to which is attached aseries of glue-applying fingers 96. The fingers 96 are so shaped thatthey normally are submerged in the glue but when rotated by rocking ofthe shaft 94, the distal ends thereof will carry glue from the glue potinto contact with the inner face of a down turned carton closure iiapas, for example, the tlap 9S in FIG. 3. The rocker shaft 94 is rotatedon its axis by means of a bell crank 10G which is attached to one end ofthe shaft, the rocking motion being imparted upon the reciprocation of apiston 102 associated with the cylinder or a luid pressure motor 104.

The glue pots 88 and 99 and their associated operating mechanism areconveniently mounted between end plates 166 which can be adjustablyattached to the opposite end walls of the carton throat assemblies. Byreference to FIG. l, it can be seen that the end walls of the assembliesare provided with slots 168 adapted to accommodate a bolt 11E) extendingoutwardly from the supporting plates 166. Thus the glue pot assembliescan be raised and lowered to accommodate them to the application of glueto carton end iiaps which are either long or short.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the pressure platen assembly 16 carriesone-half 112 of a carton closing table and the pressure face assembly 18carries the other half 114 thereof. These sections of the carton closingtable are ixed respectively to the pressure platen assembly 16 and tothe pressure face assembly 13 so that they move with the assemblieswhenever they undergo adjustment. The halves 112 and 114 of the cartonclosing table are identical and perform identical operations on oppositeends of a carton. A lled carton 116 with the end aps thereof open, asshown in FIG. 7, is introduced to the carton ciosing table by theoperator and while being so introduced, the forward side flaps 118 ofthe carton will be turned inwardly by engagement with at controlled bars120 at the forward end of the table. In the meanwhile, the upper andoutwardly extending side flaps 98 and 122 of the carton will be engagedunder rails 12d which extend along the length of the table. Next, theoutwardly extending bottom flaps 126 of the carton will be turned up bythe members 12S. This will dispose the carton aps as shown in FIG. 8.

In some instances, it may be desirable to provide an eiectrically heatedde-waxer 13d along the length of the carton closing table in order toremove wax from the inner surface of the top carton aps to which theadhesive is to be applied, and from the outer surface of the bottomcarton flaps to which the top iaps are to be glued. When rie-waxingdevices are provided, the partially closed carton will be disposed inrespect to the de-waxers, as shown in FIG. 9. In this figure, it can beseen that the outer face of the inturned carton bottom iaps 126 is incontact with the heated vertically disposed de-waxer surface 132, whilethe inner face of the extended upper carton flaps 9S and 122 are incontact with the horizontally disposed surface 134 of the de-waxer.

As the carton proceeds along the table, the laterally extending upperflaps 98 and 122 will contact the oppositely disposed rails 136 which,as best shown in FIG. 6, are so disposed as to turn the upper apsdownwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 10. This disposed theseVflaps such that they will be guided into oppositely disposed slots 13Sand 140 formed in the lower end of the inner walls of the pressureassemblies 16 and 18. These slots are dened in part by wall sections 142extending outwardly and downwardly at an angle to the gene-ral plane ofthe assembly surface. When so disposed, the carton flaps 98 and 122 arein position of access to the free ends of the iingers 96 constitutingthe glue-applying combs.

When a carton is positioned on the elevator platform 66 its forward sidewill contact a control switch 144 which, when operated, will admit airto the fluid pressure cylinder 68. This will cause the piston rod 84 torise. Carried by the piston rod 34 is a cam device 146 which as it risesis adapted to operate a switch 148. The switch 148, as shown in FIG. 12,is in control of the fluid pressure cylinders 164 (only one shown inFIG. 12) which operate the glue-applying fingers 96. This operationconstitutes a complete cycle wherein the glue combs are elevated toapply glue to the carton aps and are then retracted. By the time theglue combs have been operated, the piston rod 84 will have advanced inthe bore S6 of the elevator piston '70 and will have contacted the endof the bore. At the same time, continued advance of the piston rod 84will raise the elevator piston 70 such that the elevator platform 66 anda carton thereon will be elevated to the point where the carton on theelevatorplatform is advanced into the carton throat between theassemblies 1d and 18. The elevator advances the carton thereon until thebottom of the carton registers with a pair of inturned spring fingers159 and 152 by which the bottom of the advancing carton is engaged whilethe elevator returns to its normal position.

As the piston rod 84 reaches the upper limit of its stroke, the cam d6will contact a switch device 154 which is in control of a iluid pressuremotor 156. This latter motor, as shown in FIG. 3, is mounted on abracket S supported at the top of the pressure face assembly 18. Thefluid pressure motor 156 has a reciprocating piston 155i? therein whichis adapted to engage the uppermost sealed carton as it emerges from theupper open end of the carton throat. As the piston rod 160 is projectedforwardly into engagement with such carton, the carton is displaced ontoa discharge guide 162 which may deliver the carton to a suitable pointby gravity. By the time the hydraulic motor 156 has operated through an.entire cycle, the entire pressure system of FIG. 12 will again be inrepose awaiting a succeeding operating cycle upon deposit of the nextcarton on the elevator platform.

While the novel features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed in connection with a speciic embodiment of the invention, itis believed that this embodiment will enable others skilled in the artto apply the principles of the invention in forms departing from theexemplary embodiment herein, and such departures are contemplated by theclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a carton sealing machine, a base frame, a pressure face assemblyand a pressure platen assembly having parallel confronting faces formingtherebetween a carton throat adapted to receive and apply pressure to aseries of cartons being sealed, said assemblies having base portions ingenerally rectangular tubular coniiguration including a pair of spacedgenerally parallel confronting base walls by which said assemblies areadapted to be mounted in an operative upright position, a first and asecond pair of aligned bearing passages in said confronting base wallsin each of said assemblies adapted to slide in operative relation on arespective pair of spaced parallel guide rods, a pair of spaced parallelguide rods mounted in said base frame, said guide rods extending throughrespective pairs of said aligned bearing passages and providing theprincipal support for said assemblies whereby said assemblies providefree access to said carton throat from a pair of opposite sides thereofwhen in operative position on said guide rods, means for edectingrelative movement of said assemblies toward and away from each other toaccommodate said pressure throat to the length of cartons being sealedtherebetween, a carton supporting and advancingI platform supportedyfrom said guide rods in one end of said throat, and means alsosupported from said guide rods in operative association with said cartonsupporting and advancing platform adapted to reciprocate said cartonsupporting and advancing platform whereby a carton thereon is advancedinto said pressure throat and cartons in said throat in advance thereofare urged through said throat.

2. 1n a carton sealing machine, a base frame, a pressure face assemblyand a pressure platen assembly having parallel confronting faces formingtherebetween a carton throat adapted to receive and apply pressure to aseries of cartons being sealed, said assemblies having base portions ingenerally rectangular tubular configuration including a pair of spacedgenerally parallel confronting base walls by which said assemblies areadapted to be mounted in an operative upright position, a iirst and asecond pair of aligned bearing passages in said confronting base wallsin each of said assemblies adapted to slide in operative relation on arespective pair of spaced parallel guide rods, a pair of spaced parallelguide rods mounted in said base frame, said guide rods eX- tendingthrough respective pairs of said aligned bearing passages and providingthe principal support for said assemblies whereby said assembliesprovide free access to said carton throat from a pair of opposite sidesthereof when in operative position on said guide rods, means forelecting relative movement of said assemblies toward and away from eachother to accommodate said pressure throat to the length of cartons beingsealed therebetween, a carton supporting and advancing platform locatedin one end of said throat, means operative t0 reciprocate said cartonsupporting and advancing platform whereby a carton thereon is advancedinto said pressure throat and cartons in said throat in advance thereofare urged through said throat, and an identical longitudinal section ofa carton closing table xed to a face of each of said assemblies wherebysaid sections are adapted to the size of a carton as said assemblies aremoved toward and away from each other.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,320,362 Jensen June 1, 1943 2,904,941 Midnight Sept. 22, 19592,912,806 Bowman Nov. 17, 1959 2,968,901 Johnson Jan. 24, 1961 2,997,830Nelson Aug. 29, 1961 3,038,284 Kaestner June 12, 1962

1. IN A CARTON SEALING MACHINE, A BASE FRAME, A PRESSURE FACE ASSEMBLYAND A PRESSURE PLATEN ASSEMBLY HAVING PARALLEL CONFRONTING FACES FORMINGTHEREBETWEEN A CARTON THROAT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND APPLY PRESSURE TO ASERIES OF CARTONS BEING SEALED, SAID ASSEMBLIES HAVING BASE PORTIONS INGENERALLY RECTANGULAR TUBULAR CONFIGURATION INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACEDGENERALLY PARALLEL CONFRONTING BASE WALLS BY WHICH SAID ASSEMBLIES AREADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN AN OPERATIVE UPRIGHT POSITION, A FIRST AND ASECOND PAIR OF ALIGNED BEARING PASSAGES IN SAID CONFRONTING BASE WALLSIN EACH OF SAID ASSEMBLIES ADAPTED TO SLIDE IN OPERATIVE RELATION ON ARESPECTIVE PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL GUIDE RODS, A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLELGUIDE RODS MOUNTED IN SAID BASE FRAME, SAID GUIDE RODS EXTENDING THROUGHRESPECTIVE PAIRS OF SAID ALIGNED BEARING PASSAGES AND PROVIDING THEPRINCIPAL SUPPORT FOR SAID ASSEMBLIES WHEREBY